1. Name of Organization: The organization is called Castle Gamers which is here after referred to as the Club.

2. Purpose of the Club: The purpose of the Club is to promote wargaming in the Bridgend area in all its facets. To do this we will provide a venue at which gamers may meet and also a reasonable amount and variety of gaming terrain and equipment. It will be the responsibility of individual members to provide actual models, boardgames or other items specifically required for games to occur. In addition to providing the physical materials required, we will also promote discussion to develop greater understanding of various games systems, encourage the exchange of gaming ideas and help members develop practical techniques. We will promote positive relations with other wargames clubs or societies when practicable.

3. Club Meetings: The Club will meet between 5.00pm and 9.00pm every Sunday at The Gilead Church Hall subject to hall availability. There will also be an extended club meeting on a Sunday (from 2.00pm to 9.00pm) once every two months, again subject to hall availability, arranged by the Committee.

4. ClubMembership: A Member of the club will be any person who has paid his fee to attend a club meeting. There will be an optional monthly membership fee. Any adult member who has paid a monthly attendance fee is entitled to attend and vote at the Club Annual General Meeting held during that year. The Treasurer will keep weekly attendance records which may be referred to if required. Members must be aged 18 years or over but juniors, aged 12 years or over, may attend club if accompanied by an appropriate adult aged 18 years or over. Junior members may attend the AGM and participate in discussions but will not have voting rights. Proof of age will be required to confirm that a member is no longer a junior for unaccompanied club visits. Acceptable ID consists of valid passport, birth certificate or valid drivers license and will be produced alongside a Proof of Age form available from a committee member. Proof of age can be requested at any time by a commitee member and the request must be completed either on the same club meet or the next attendance. Failure to provide valid ID for proof of age will result in the member being unable to enter the club or participate without a consenting adult present as per the junior membership constitution ruling. Any non-member may visit the club for free up until the next monthly subscription due date. At the free meetings they may use club equipment in exactly the same way as a paying member but they are officially a ‘visitor’. Should a person wish to attend the club after their free visits then they are required to either become a monthly member or pay the standard weekly club fee applicable to them for that meeting, whereupon they become an official member of the club.

5. Club Fees: Club fees for both adult and junior members attending standard meetings will be set for the year at the AGM. The Committee may impose these charges or vary them for Extended Day meetings at their discretion, with due consideration to the financial circumstances.

6. Equal Opportunities and Abuse: No member or visitor shall be discriminated against on grounds of sex, ethnic group, colour, religion, physical or mental status, political beliefs, sexual orientation, social class or anything a reasonable person would find unjust. Whilst the Club will promote equal opportunities for all, it will also take action to deal with any reports of a member suffering physical, psychological, sexual or other abuse. This action is detailed under the Complaints & Discipline section.

7. Conduct of Club Members: All Club Members or Visitors must abide by:
The Statutory and Common Law of the United Kingdom;
All Health and Safety laws and rules applicable to the UK;
The rules of the Club as stated in its Constitution.Members in breach of any of these laws and rules or ruled to have brought the good name of the Club into disrepute may have their membership suspended or even cancelled (See Section 13). The Club does not accept liability for any misconduct by an individual, whether member or visitor.

8. The Club Committee: The Committee has the authority to make any decisions in order to implement Club policies, the Constitution or make decisions regarding any matter not provided for in the Constitution.

Committee Members: The Committee shall comprise of Chairman, Treasurer, Website Officer, Publicity Officer and Terrain Officer. These will be elected from the membership of the Club at the Annual General Meeting. New committee members will take up their post immediately upon the completion of any election at the AGM.

Meetings: These will be organized and presided over by the Chairman, who will also be responsible for providing an agenda after consultation with other committee members and club members. They will take place at a time agreed by committee members and will require the attendance of a minimum of three committee members.

Voting: All committee members may exercise a vote. Decisions will be made and implemented on a simple majority vote basis. In the event of a tied vote then the Chairman shall exercise an additional (casting) vote.

Liability: Any financial or legal liability incurred by committee members in the rightful exercise of their responsibilities will not be a personal liability but will be the responsibility of the Club as a whole.

Resignation and Dismissal: Committee members may resign at any time and be dismissed at either an AGM or an EGM.

Other Members: Non-committee members may be invited to assist either individual committee members carry out a particular task or sub-committees set up for a specific purpose.

Minutes: A committee member will ensure the Minutes of any committee meeting will be posted on the club website within two weeks of the meeting taking place.

Agenda: If a member wants a specific matter placed on the agenda then s/he must submit the request in writing to the Chairman at least 3 days before the meeting is due to occur. If a request is submitted later then it may, at the Chairman’s discretion, be placed on the agenda of the following committee meeting. ‘In writing’ includes e-mails or the use of the messaging system on the club website as well as handwritten or typed. At the committee’s discretion, a non-committee member may be invited to attend a committee meeting to address them, or provide expertise or advice on a particular issue.

9. Committee Members Responsibilities: These are as defined below:

Chairman: Responsible for the overall management of the club and ensuring each committee member carries out their responsibilities appropriately. Prepares the agendas for meetings and ensures all members have a fair hearing at those meetings before any voting occurs. Will present an Annual Report on the club at the AGM. Counter-signs any cheques required. Initiates and maintains contact with other wargames clubs or organisations. Specific responsibility for welcoming ‘Visitors’ to the club. Will liaise closely with Website Officer and Publicity Officer over articles and features for the club website.

Treasurer: Establishes a system for the collection of membership fees and recording of member attendance at club meetings. Keeps accurate financial and member attendance records during the year and presents the committee with a quarterly financial assessment. Presents the club membership with a detailed Financial Report and statement of accounts at the AGM. Monitors club expenditure and signs any cheques required.

Website Officer: Responsible for the development and maintenance of a club website. The website will cater for a club forum and articles of interest to club members. It will also play a significant role in the publicity of the club. The Website Officer will need to liaise particularly closely with the Chairman and Publicity Officer over articles appearing on the website.

Publicity Officer: Responsibility for the development and implementation of a publicity strategy, liaising with the Website Officer in particular. Specific responsibility for welcoming ‘Visitors’ to the club and supporting the Chairman in developing links with other clubs. Will advise the committee on any specific publicity promotion that may be appropriate at a particular time or place.

Terrain Officer: Responsibility for ensuring the club achieves its aim of providing a reasonable amount of terrain across all gaming interest areas and scales, including advising the committee on future terrain purchases. Responsible for ensuring the club has all terrain required for any demonstration game the club may put on. Supervise the storage of club terrain and maintain a record of any terrain removed from club by a member.

All Committee Members will also assist in organizing or running club events, ensuring Extended Days have a suitable game on offer to members, and generally promoting the Club. In addition, they may be called upon to use their specialist skills, eg photography, to enhance or record club events and projects.

10. Financial Accountability: The club shall have a Bank Account and any payments made from that account will be made with the authority of the Committee and be endorsed by the Chairman and Treasurer. At the AGM the Treasurer will present a full statement of the financial accounts for that year and also make available any supporting documentation for inspection by the members. The Treasurer will also give the Committee a brief summary of the financial situation quarterly.

11. Annual General Meetings: The Annual General Meeting of the Club will take place on a Sunday during September, the actual date being decided by the Committee. The Chairman will be responsible for preparing an agenda that will include:
a. Nominations for Club Officers;
b. Voting where more than one member is nominated for a single post;
c. A report from the Chairman;
d. A financial report and statement of accounts from the Treasurer;
e. Discussion (and voting where appropriate) on any issues that members wish to raise.
Nominations of candidates for offices may be made by any voting member but must also be seconded by another voting member for them to take effect. The nominated member will take up the office if unopposed or the office will be voted on where two or more candidates are presented for a single office. No candidate may be nominated, or accept nomination, for more than two club offices. Any member nominated and seconded for an office may speak in support of his nomination for up to two minutes. Alternatively he may distribute a statement in writing before, or at, the AGM.
All club members who have attended club meeting on at least six occasions during the year since the last AGM, have the right to vote once for each contested club office or on any matter where a vote is called for or thought to be appropriate by the Chairman. Any voting in respect of a contested office will be by secret ballot on the day. When voting on other issues, a show of hands will be applicable. However, the Chairman may use his/her discretion to implement a secret ballot if he or she believes the issue to be of a particularly sensitive or fractious nature. If a member is unable to attend the meeting then he may submit a nomination, or second a nomination, in writing at least two weeks before the date of the AGM. A member may also submit a vote in writing to the Chairman up to three days before the AGM. All decisions will be made by a majority vote. In the event of a tie on a non-electoral matter then the Chairman will have a casting vote. If there is a tie in an electoral matter then there will be a second ballot but if this is also tied then the members concerned will draw lots.
At the conclusion of any voting, any new committee members will take up their office. Any documentation relevant to that office will be handed over at that time by the outgoing officer.
The chairman will be responsible for placing notice of an AGM at least six weeks before the event on the club website. Individual members will only be notified at the discretion of the Chairman.

12. Extraordinary General Meetings: AnEGM may occur due to three possible circumstances:
a. The Committee passes a majority vote at a committee meeting to request one;
b. Half the Committee or more has resigned before an AGM is due and it will be impractical for the club to operate successfully under the circumstances;
c. Half the membership requests one in writing to the Chairman;
d. The Chairman requests a meeting to address a Complaints & Discipline matter.
Under these circumstances the Chairman will confirm a date, not longer than three weeks after the date an EGM is requested, and prepare an appropriate agenda for the meeting. Any voting will be carried out in the same manner as at an AGM. Members will have the right to vote if they were either eligible at the previous AGM or they have attended four club meetings since then.

13. Complaints &Discipline: Whilst it is not anticipated, there may be occasions when the club is required to act to protect its members from a situation that arises due to the conduct of one or more members. Members may be suspended from attending club under the following circumstances:
a. When there is an allegation that a member has committed a serious criminal offence. In this case the member must be immediately suspended and notified of his/her suspension by the Chairman, until police inquiries and any legal proceedings have been concluded;
b. When a complaint is made in writing alleging a member has breached the rules of the club, as stated in its Constitution. In this case the Chairman will make inquiries to see whether any informal resolution may be agreed by the parties concerned. If this is the case then no further action need be taken but if not then the Chairman must organize a meeting of the committee to discuss the allegations and decide whether any suspension of membership is appropriate;
c. When a member is alleged to have behaved in such a manner as to have caused danger either to another member(s) or themselves. In this circumstance the Chairman must organize a meeting of the committee to discuss the incident and decide whether any suspension of membership is appropriate;
d. When a member is alleged to have acted in such a manner as to have seriously damaged the club’s reputation. In this circumstance the Chairman must organize a meeting of the Committee to discuss the allegations and decide whether any suspension of membership is appropriate.
e. When three or more complaints of what might be viewed as a minor nature have been made in writing regarding the behaviour of an individual member, that member’s behaviour will be discussed at the next committee meeting. The committee may decide to issue that member a written warning in respect of his behaviour. Should there be a repetition of such behaviour then the situation will be dealt with as under section (b) above.
Other than in Section (a) where suspension is open-ended, the Committee has the power to vary the period of suspension from 1 to 4 club meetings as it deems appropriate. Should the Committee believe the situation is so serious as to require a more severe resolution then the Chairman may call an EGM with a view to either a longer-term suspension or expulsion of the member concerned. Expulsion is the ultimate sanction for the club and will not be imposed lightly but once imposed it can only be reversed by a majority vote at an AGM or EGM.
Whatever the period involved, any suspended member may not attend the club premises nor be involved in any club activity for the duration of the suspension. Failure to comply will lead to an automatic 4 meeting suspension, to run consecutively to any current suspension, and may result in an EGM to discuss the situation.

14. Amendments/Dissolution: No amendment to the Constitution or Dissolution of the club can be made without the consent of two-thirds of the voting membership at either an AGM or an EGM. Should Dissolution occur then the Committee will terminate any commitments and liabilities of the Club and all money held will be donated to a registered charity. Terrain will be divided amongst the membership as fairly as possible by the outgoing committee.